Violin.



PATENTED MAR. 24, 1908.

J. 1); LOPPBNTIBN.

VIOLIN.

APPLICATIUN FILED SEPT. 4, 190?.

Wu an r: NORRIS PETERS ca. wnsnmm'mv, n. c.

PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN D. LOPPEN'ITIEN, OF ORANGE, CALIFORNIA.

VIOLIN.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented March 24, 1908.v

Application filed September 4, 1907. Serial No. 391.292.

To all whom it may concern.

Be it known that 1, JOHN D. LOPPEN'llEN, citizen of the United States, residing at Orange, in the county of Orange and State of California, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Violins, of which the following is a specification.

This invention comprehends certain new and useful improvements in stringed. musical instruments, and relates more particularly to those instruments, such as the violin, violoncello and the like that are played by the use of a bow.

The invention has for its object an improved construction of violin or analogous instrument characterized by a high degree of resonance, insuring reproduction of a rich,

full, and round or mellow and harmonious tone when the strings are sounded.

It is well known that a high degree of perfection in violins is hard to attain, and ordi narily is iLCCOll'll'JllSllQd only by the master workman and with most carefully selected and seasoned material, and only then in most instances after the instrument has been in use for a long period of time so that the fibers or molecules of the wood become set and sufficiently in accord as to be responsive or sympathetic to vibrations, and this invention aims to raise the standard of these instruments at a small cost and to produce an eflicient instrument even where the ordinary conditions conducing'to perfection do not exist.

With this and other objects in view as will more fully appear as the description proceeds, the invention consists in certain constructions and arrangements and combinations of the parts that I shall hereinafter fully describe and claim.

For a full understanding of the invention, reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view with parts broken away of a violin constructed in accordance with my invention; Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view of the violin; Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional view thereof; and Fig. 4 is a fragmentary inverted plan view thereof.

Corresponding and like parts are referred to in the following description and indicated in all the views of the drawing by the same reference characters.

Referring to the drawing, the numeral 1 designates the body of a violin or similar instrument embodying the back 2 and belly 3.

4 designates the usual neck, and 5 the strings secured at one end to the tail piece 6 and extending over the bridge 7 and designed to be secured. at their other ends to the tuning pegs in the head (not shown).

Forming a part of the belly 3 and located erably circular and located between the usual f-holes and underneath the bridge 7 at the waist of the instrument. Enoircling the plate 8 is another plate or ring 9 which preferably tapers from its inner to its outer edge. 10 designates the sound post which abuts with its upper end against the plates 8 and 9 and which is supported at its opposite ends on the recessed edge 11 of a sound bar 12. This bar conforms to the curvature of the back 2 and is glued thereto throughout its entire length. The said bar 1.2 extends longitudinally of the body 1 slightly offset from the median line thereof and in substantial alinement with the A and E strings of the instrument. The said bar 12 also extends across the plates 14 and 15 that are similar to the plates 8 and 9 and that are secured to the inner side of the back 2. The sound post 10 is so located within the body 1 that its end contiguous to the belly 3 is at the edge of the inner plate 8. 1

16 designates the bass bar of the instru ment, which is similar to the bar 12 and which is secured to the inner side of the belly 3, extending across the plates 8 and 9 in sub stantial alinement withthe G and D strings of the instrument, said bar being formed with a recess 13 registering with the plates 8 and 9.

It is to be understood that the recess or cutaway portion of the respective bars may be of any desired length and depth, according to the different makes of instruments or other circumstances of the case, and that the shape of said recess may be varied at will.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

1. A musical instrument of the character described, having plates on the inner side of its belly and back, sound bars secured to said inner sides respectively and extending across said plates, said bars being provided with recessed portions registering with said plates, and a sound post supported at its inner endagainst the plates of the belly and at its opposite end in the recess of that bar which is secured to the back.

2. A musical instrument of the character described, provided on the inner side of its on the inner side thereof is a plate 8, prefbelly and back with inner and outer plates, a bass bar extending longitudinally of the belly and secured to the inner side thereof and extending over the said plates, another bar extending longitudinally along the inner side of the back and secured thereto and extending over the plates of the back, each of said bars being provided in registry with the plates with a recess, and a sound post abutting at one end against the plates of the belly in alinement with the edge of the inner plate and supported at its other end in the recess of the bar that is secured to the back.

3, A musical instrument of the character described, provided on the inner sides of its belly and back with plates located at about the waist of the instrument and oflset from the median line of the body thereof, longitudinally extending barssecured to the inner side of the belly and back and in contact therewith substantially throughout their len th, said bars extending across the plates an provided in their free edges With recesses in registry with the said plates, and a sound post abutting at one end against the plates of the belly and supported at its other end within the recess of the bar that is secured to the back.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JOHN D. LOPPENTIE N. Witnesses:

H. P. JONES, C. O. KILPATRIGK. 

